In the Bible, there is something called the flesh. It is everything that has to do with our natural life, whether it is our natural patience, or our natural quick-temperament. The flesh is a hiding place for Satan. Galatians 5:16-17 tells us that if we "walk by the Spirit", we shall not "fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh". The flesh is in direct opposition to God, the Spirit, who is leading us and guiding us. Thus, we must crucify the flesh with it's passions and its lusts (Gal. 5:24).
It becomes tricky because our concept is that what is evil is the flesh. We seek to destroy the evil flesh, but we seek to preserve what is good, without recognizing that our natural goodness is also flesh. A picture in the Old Testament illustrates this. Saul, the King of Israel, was charged to "strike the Amalekites; and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, oxen and sheep, camel and donkey. (1 Sam. 15:1)" This was due to the Amalekites' fighting against the children of Israel as the children of Israel "came up out of Egypt (1 Sam. 15:2)". This event was documented in Exodus 17, when Amalek, a type of the flesh, came and fought with the children of Israel. At that time, Moses said, "For there is a hand against the throne of Jah! Jehovah will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. (Exo. 17:16)" When Saul was charged with utterly destroying the Amalekites, he "spared Agag (the king of the Amalekites) and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings, and the lambs and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but everything that was despised and worthless, this they utterly destroyed. (1 Sam. 15:9)" Eventually, this caused God to repent of making Saul king (1 Sam. 15:11). In other words, Saul lost his kingship due to his treasuring the good parts of the flesh, something which must be utterly destroyed.
Today, it is the same with us. We must be enlightened so that we would not treasure the flesh, even the good aspects of the flesh, so as to harbor something that directly opposes God and hinders the coming of His Kingdom. We must see that in ourselves, everything we can do is of the flesh. Thus, only when we no longer have trust in ourselves, but when our only hope is on the Lord, only then will we be able to walk by the Spirit to bring in the Kingdom of God.
It becomes tricky because our concept is that what is evil is the flesh. We seek to destroy the evil flesh, but we seek to preserve what is good, without recognizing that our natural goodness is also flesh. A picture in the Old Testament illustrates this. Saul, the King of Israel, was charged to "strike the Amalekites; and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, oxen and sheep, camel and donkey. (1 Sam. 15:1)" This was due to the Amalekites' fighting against the children of Israel as the children of Israel "came up out of Egypt (1 Sam. 15:2)". This event was documented in Exodus 17, when Amalek, a type of the flesh, came and fought with the children of Israel. At that time, Moses said, "For there is a hand against the throne of Jah! Jehovah will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. (Exo. 17:16)" When Saul was charged with utterly destroying the Amalekites, he "spared Agag (the king of the Amalekites) and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings, and the lambs and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but everything that was despised and worthless, this they utterly destroyed. (1 Sam. 15:9)" Eventually, this caused God to repent of making Saul king (1 Sam. 15:11). In other words, Saul lost his kingship due to his treasuring the good parts of the flesh, something which must be utterly destroyed.
Today, it is the same with us. We must be enlightened so that we would not treasure the flesh, even the good aspects of the flesh, so as to harbor something that directly opposes God and hinders the coming of His Kingdom. We must see that in ourselves, everything we can do is of the flesh. Thus, only when we no longer have trust in ourselves, but when our only hope is on the Lord, only then will we be able to walk by the Spirit to bring in the Kingdom of God.
Written on March 7, 2010